Communities of Practice in Living Labs: Strengthening Students’ Problem-Solving Competencies for the Industrial Revolutions

The Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions (IR4 and IR5) challenge higher education to move beyond disciplinary expertise and foster versatile competencies for technology-driven, human-centred societies. This chapter investigates how Finnish Living Labs (LLs) enable students’ problem-solving competencies through communities of practice and considers the implications for South African higher education. The study draws on qualitative research conducted in Finland by Finnish and South African scholars, including interviews with eight students and nine teachers. Following the three core elements of communities of domain, community, and practice, the analysis shows that LLs cultivate students’ problem-solving competencies through authentic, collaborative, and practice-oriented learning processes. South African researchers recognised the transformative potential of LLs while underscoring the need for contextual adaptation for resource constraints and socio-economic realities. Practical implications include defining contextually relevant domains, building inclusive communities, and leveraging digital and hybrid modalities. Theoretically, the study advances our understanding of LLs as socio-constructivist and socio-cultural learning environments that prepare graduates for the demands of IR4 and IR5. The chapter concludes that LLs represent innovative ecosystems for fostering student competencies and bridging higher education with societal and industrial transformation.